The legal action comes after China’s State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) rejected Apple's request to invalidate a patent by a Shanghai-based company which it claimed was similar to its voice-driven technology Siri.

Korean electronics giant inks a cross-licensing agreement with Cisco Systems to avoid legal tussles over technology patents, giving each company use of the other's existing and future patent portfolio.

What Verizon says and does appears to be in conflict, according to privacy specialists, legal experts, and academics, who argue the U.S. government can demand foreign data held by American telecom and technology companies.

Chinese search giant said to be in discussions with local manufacturer Huan Technology on developing a set-top box or chip for use in smart TVs, which could take on Alibaba Group's move into the Internet TV space in July.

A leaked action plan seen by Reuters suggests an impending crackdown in tax avoidance by Western governments on major technology firms, which seek to lower their tax bills through less-than-ideal — albeit legal — methods.